Jack's Worse Nightmare
by ALlover29
Summary: When Jack gets kidnapped by Pitch there is no telling what Pitch is capable of. Will Jack give in to fear or face it? Notice: Made up characters are created in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Jack couldn't believe he hadn't seen it coming. One second he was flying freely above the trees, then the next his staff had been wrenched away. His eyes widened in panic as he started to fall, his head whipped around, looking for his missing staff. As he spotted his staff and started reaching for it, a stream of nightmare sand wrapped around it. Pitch was now hovering in the air, twirling Jack's staff in his hand. Jack was about to let out a stream of curses when a Nightmare crashed into him and everything went black.

Jack pulled at his restraints, which were made of nightmare sand and every time he moved it burned his flesh. _How had this happened? _He thought. The shadows that filled the room flickered and there was Pitch. His amber eyes stood out among the shadows.

"Oh Jack! So nice to meet you again." Pitch said in a mocking tone. He jerked his hand up and Jack was pulled by his restraints until he hung at eye level with Pitch, his feet couldn't reach the floor. Then Pitch slammed him into the wall. He raised his other hand and grabbed Jack's face, so his palm was over Jack's mouth and his fingernails could dig into the skin of his cheek. Jack winced against the pain. _It doesn't matter, _he thought, _I'm immortal, I can't die. _Pitch glowered into Jack's icy blue eyes and scowled, they were filled with everything besides fear.

"We'll just have to change that now, won't we?" He asked Jack. Jack fought against his shackles as Pitch let go of his face.

"What do you want, Pitch?" Jack yelled. Then the restraints fell away and he hit the floor with a thud. His head struck the tile and stars danced in his vision. He couldn't even tell where Pitch was. He gave up and layed down on his back, trying to find his sense. A hand shot down and grabbed the front of Jack's blue hoody.

"What the-?" Was all Jack could get out before he was backhanded across the face. His head was still fuzzy but he gingerly touched his cheek. A shooting pain went through his whole body and he gasped. He couldn't move at all.

"What's wrong Jack?," Pitch hissed, "Can't handle the pain? I can help with that Jack." Then he kicked Jack in the stomach. Tears sprang to Jack's eyes but he dared not shed them, he wasn't weak.

"Get used to this Jack. The Guardians have no idea where you are. You're stuck here." Pitch began to walk away.

"And by the time you are found, you will be a broken shell of who you once were. You will never be the same." With those parting words Pitch disappeared and Jack was left alone. His breathing was heavy and a bruise was starting to form on both his stomach and cheek. He hated Pitch so much. _I'll never be the same?_ He thought. What was Pitch going to do to him?

Jack had been trapped in Pitch's lair for who knows how long. He had scratches, cuts, and bruises all over his body. Dried blood covered his skin because Pitch wouldn't wash it away. He could swear some of his bones were fractured.

Right now he was sitting against a stone wall, shackled to it. His arms hung limply at his sides and his legs were sprawled out. His chin rested against his chest, he had no strength to lift it. He was sleeping, he had no dreams, just darkness could be seen. Pitch appeared and looked at the sad excuse of the ice spirit. _I almost feel bad, almost_. He thought. Pitch reached out and placed a finger on Jack's forehead. Jack flinched against the touch and Pitch grinned a cruel smile. He focused and Jack was thrown into a nightmare. Pitch watched as the ice spirit flinched and mumbled, screamed and pleaded. Then, all too soon, Jack's eyes flew open and his hands flew to his face. He tried to hide the tears that were falling down his face but Pitch already knew.

"What do you want?" Jack pleaded in a voice that wasn't at all like his old self. It was like music to Pitch's ears.

"Give in to fear Jack." Pitch's voice was like silk to Jack's ears. Jack knew he should fight back and keep taunting Pitch but it was all too tiring. Jack slowly nodded his head and Pitch let out a cruel laugh. Jack winced away, having heard that laugh at horrible times. Pitch knelt down in front of Jack and took a fist full of dirty white hair, hitting Jack's head on the wall. Jack grunted and looked Pitch straight in the eye. His amber eyes glowed brightly and Jack's mind was getting fuzzy.

Pitch stared into the hazy blue eyes in front of him. Jack was giving up. Then, slowly, the color of amber leaked into Jack's blue irises. Jack screamed as the fear and darkness filled his mind, then he slumped against the wall for a moment. Then Jack's whole body language changed, he sat up straight and stared unseeingly at Pitch.

"Will the Guardians come soon? We could have so much fun." Pitch was actually quite surprised but smiled. He waved a hand and the shackles disappeared. He picked up Jack bridal style and took him to a room with minor necessities. He set him down on the cot and left him to sleep. Jack's sleep was filled with nightmares of the Guardians trying to take him away.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Pitch's lair in this story isn't what it actually looks like in actuality.

Meanwhile, the Guardians were trying to find Jack.

"Where are you Jack?" North asked himself aloud. After the recent events with Pitch trying to make the world forget them North had come to love Jack like a son. He was beginning to think Pitch had something to do with Jack's disappearance.

"My fairies haven't seen any trace of him, North." Tooth said quickly before giving her fairies orders for more tooth retrievals. Mini fairies were flying every which way. The elves and yetis were working over time.

"I've even sent out some of my eggs to search. They got nothin' too!" Bunny shouted across the room then went back to arguing with a yeti. North looked to Sandy but he shook his head in remorse. Then everything shut down and the shadows flickered with movement.

"So nice to see the worry on your faces again, Guardians." Pitch's voice echoed throughout the globe room. His shadow moved across the room, slipping from everyone's gaze.

"What do you want, Pitch?" North bellowed to the air around him in his thick russian accent. Pitch's cruel laugh shook the whole room. Sandy cringed, remembering his own experiences with Pitch.

"Oh, I was just checking in to see if you had found Jack yet." Pitch took the time to look around at the looks of horror from the darkness then continued. "Apparently not." Pitch teased while using his cruel grin. After a few moments of silence Bunny spoke up.

"What have you done to him?" The Guardians were thinking of the worst possible fate Jack could have.

"Let's just say he won't cause too much trouble for me anymore." Pitch laughed and the whole building shook from the force. Everyone was shaking with anger. A stream of nightmare sand swirled together in in the middle of the room and formed none other than Pitch himself. His amber eyes the same as always. Bunny took out a boomerang and launched himself at Pitch. Pitch raised a hand and nightmare sand shot out of the darkness, it starting wrapping around Bunny and pulling him closer. Pitch flicked his hand to the right and Bunny went flying in the same direction.

"Bunny!" Tooth yelled and flew to catch him. Once she made contact they both went down and crashed to the ground, landing into a heap.

"Such entertaining people you all are!" Pitch said gleefully. North was inching his hands towards his swords when Pitch fixed a glare on him. Then Pitch was in front of him, glaring hatefully.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Pitch hissed and disappeared again, "Not if you want Jack back that is." The room was still silent. Pitch reappeared in the middle of the room and looked at their hate filled glares.

"Did I strike a nerve?" North pulled out one of his swords and lunged at Pitch. Pitch sent his nightmare sand to meet him but North slashed right through it. North grabbed Pitch by the front of his cloak and pressed one of his swords to his throat.

"I swear, if you have harmed him I will personally slit your throat." North threatened in a hushed voice. Pitch showed no change in expression. He reached up and gripped the hand clutching his cloak. He twisted it and North gasped in pain.

"Calm down, calm down." Pitch chided softly, "Now I must be going. It was so nice chatting with all of you!" He called to the room. He waved his hands and he was swept away in an instant by his nightmare sand. North gripped his hand and turned to look around the room. Everyone was still and looking around. Bunny and Tooth had gotten up, bruises forming on their skin from hitting the ground.

"How are we going to find Jack?" Tooth asked sadly. She missed his mischievous smirk and his funny attitude. Everything had lost its glow and excitement. North needed a quiet place to think so he set off to his workshop only to have the rest of the Guardians follow him. When they had filed in, North shut and locked the heavy wooden doors.

"Do not worry yourselves." North said calmly. Chaos soon erupted when Bunny started shouting.

"How can you tell us to not worry! Jack's out there suffering probably and you want to stay calm?" Bunny was going into hysterics as he clutched his ears and pulled them down. His teeth chattered in panic as his eyes darted back and forth. Suddenly Sandy threw some dreamsand in Bunny's face and he was out cold, he hit the floor with a thunk. North sighed heavily.

"Was that necessary?" North asked Sandy. Sandy just shrugged and smiled. Tooth looked to North with a look of hope.

"Do you have an idea of where Jack might be?" Her smile grew as North nodded his head.

"Pitch loves to gloat, does he not?", He paused to see them nod, "And since he came here talking about Jack he has to be involved." The Guardians were starting to get it.

"Then the only place he can be is in Pitch's Lair!" Tooth said happily. Her face soon fell as she remembered her fairies being locked in cages hanging from the ceiling. Bunny suddenly sat up straight and smiled.

"So let's go get 'im back!" Sandy rolled his eyes but smiled.

"But it could be a trap." Tooth warned them. The others thought about this and nodded their agreements.

"I don't care if it is a trap!", North bellowed causing everyone to flinch, "I'm going to try and get him back even if he isn't there!" After this they were silent for a few minutes, thinking to themselves. North unlocked the door and headed towards the room where he kept his sleigh.

"I'm coming too!" Tooth called as she flew after him. Bunny and Sandy were close behind her and they filed into the sleigh. Bunny was cowering in the corner with his eyes closed, already wanting to get off.

"Hold onto something!" North called to all of them before lifting off into the air and taking off. He pulled out a snowglobe from one of his pockets.

"Pitch's Lair." He whispered into it and threw it out in front of the sleigh. A portal opened and the sleigh dived into it. When they came out on the other end they saw it. Pitch's lair was like a small black castle, it stood out among sparse land. North landed the sleigh and they all got out. Bunny gasped and fell to the ground, thankful for the steadiness of the ground. They made their way up the front stairs hesitantly. Bunny was gripping one of his boomerangs and North was holding his swords in a defensive position. They were almost to the doors when they flew open in an instant. They were all hesitant to go in but did anyway. The hallways were barren of any life and the only sounds came from their footsteps.

"Help! Somebody help!" A voice called out from nowhere. The Guardians stopped dead in their tracks, the voice had sounded like Jack's. They rushed their steps and hurried towards where the voice had come from. They came to a pair of tall wooden doors, black vines went in and out of the door face. North kicked them open and they rushed inside. Pitch was standing with his back to them, it looked like he was talking to somebody.

"Pitch! Where are you keeping Jack?" North yelled, anger filling his voice. Pitch laughed a cruel laugh and turned towards them, hiding something behind his back.

"Guardians, you came!", Pitch smiled his cruel smile and clapped his hands together, "I was beginning to think you weren't." There was movement from behind Pitch and the Guardians went on the defensive. Pitch turned his head to look behind him then looked back at them.

"I actually have someone for you to meet." Pitch said slowly as if he were unsure of something.

"What is it? Another one of your nightmares?" Tooth called to him. She was getting angry, only Pitch could make her feel this way and she didn't like it.

"Not quite little fairy." Pitch teased and stepped to the side. Revealing a white haired person who had been hiding behind Pitch. The Guardians looked on in shock and disbelief. North took a step forward but Jack took a step backward and reached out to clutch a piece of Pitch's cloak. He leaned into Pitch's side, he was scared of these people.

"Jack?", North called softly and Jack looked at him with fear, "Jack, what has he done to you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Jack's stupor changed. He stood up straight and no fear played across his eyes as he detached himself from Pitch. He smirked at the Guardians and walked towards them.

"North!" Jack said happily while spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. He turned to the others with the same expression, they stared in shock.

"Jack?" Bunny asked and Jack turned to look at him, "What's wrong with you?" Jack frowned and tilted his head. He walked over to Bunny and gripped his furry arm. Jack looked up at him and Bunny recoiled. Jack's amber eyes burned into Bunny's green ones. Jack dug his fingers into fur and skin, then flung Bunny effortlessly against the nearest wall.

"Might not want to worry about me!" Jack called to the rest of the Guardians. Tooth rushed over to Bunny and helped him up, a fire burning in his eyes.

North looked to Jack who had an expression of joy on his face. Then turned to Pitch and glared. He pulled his swords out at an amazing speed then lunged. North was stopped before his swords could make a scratch. Jack was now in front of Pitch, his ice staff in his hand. North's swords had been frozen in an unusual gray ice. Jack was sweating and breathing heavily, clutching his staff with both hands. North looked Jack in the eye. Jack's eyes had a constant flicker of crystal blue around the irises, as if he were fighting against Pitch on the inside.

Pitch leaned over and pressed his lips close to Jack's ear, "Go on, you know you want to." Jack froze up and Pitch frowned. He jammed his hand against Jack's back and darkness spread out across the skin he touched. Jack gasped in pain as the darkness flooded his mind. North reached out instinctively and seized Jack's shoulder, pulling him into a hug. Jack dropped his staff and slumped against North's body, giving up.

_Why do I keep giving up?_ Jack thought. _Why can't I be strong like the others? _Jack passed out and North easily picked him up. Bunny nudged North's arm with his own and North handed him over. Pitch looked and felt bored.

"Fine! You can take him. He wasn't that entertaining anyway." Pitch said dismissively and disappeared in a tornado of black sand. The Guardians were seething with rage but focused on the matter at hand, getting out of Pitch's lair. Bunny hefted Jack over his shoulder and they hurried to find their way out.

The Guardians were now at North's workshop. Jack lay unresponsive on a bed in the guest wing. Tooth flitted over his head, checking for any signs of him waking up. There were none. North had left to catch up on work that had to be done before christmas. Bunny and Sandy sat by Jack's bed. Sandy had sprinkled dream dust over Jack's sleeping form but it had done nothing, so they started to wait.

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?" Tooth asked hopefully to the other two. Bunny looked up and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know Tooth.", Bunny said quietly, "What happened to him back there? Did Pitch finally get to him?" Bunny couldn't believe what Jack had done to him. Sandy patted Bunny on the shoulder, showing sympathy. Tooth got close to Jack's face.

"Please, please wake up soon." Tooth kissed him on the cheek then headed off to bed. Sandy soon headed off to bed too, leaving Bunny alone with Jack. Bunny hefted a sigh and leaned back in his chair. Then looked back to Jack.

"Hey, Frostbite. How long are you gonna lay there? You're worrying everybody." Jack didn't respond. Bunny's ears twitched in irritation, he nudged Jack with his paw. Still nothing.

"Come on! If you don't wake up who will bring snow to the world? What will the children do without you?", Bunny sounded desperate, "What will Jamie do without you." Jack still didn't move. Bunny got up and left, leaving Jack to sleep in peace. Then Jack opened his eyes slowly. His cerulean blue eyes glowed brightly and he knew what he had to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Of course Jack had been pretending to be asleep while Bunny was talking. For a while he didn't move. Jack laid there, thinking about what Bunny had said to him.

_The kids believe in me now. That's all I've ever wanted. I would never give that up! _Jack thought. Jack was struggling into a sitting position when a bony hand pressed him down. Jack looked up and fear played across his mind. Pitch was sitting on the side of the bed and was frowning at Jack. Jack rolled away from him swiftly, he glared at Pitch.

"Now, now Jack. I'm not here to harm you." Jack relaxed a bit but was still on guard. Pitch returned Jack's glare then turned away.

"How did you get in here?" Jack questioned. Pitch turned to him and gave him a look that said 'Isn't it obvious?"

"Nightmare sand, Jack." Pitch pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Jack felt like Pitch was saying he was stupid. Jack lunged for Pitch but he disappeared into the shadows. Jack swung his head around but couldn't catch where Pitch had gone.

"Come out you coward!" Jack whispered loudly so the others wouldn't hear anything. Pitch's sinister chuckle came out of the darkness from behind him. Jack turned around and was knocked over by Pitch tackling him. Jack struggled for a while but eventually gave up. Pitch smirked at this.

"Do you always give up so easily, Jack?" Pitch whispered in his silk-like voice. Jack shook his head, trying to get Pitch's voice out of his mind. The darkness was starting to attach to Jack's mind. Pitch reached out and put a finger to Jack's forehead. Jack gasped as black tendrils spread out under his skin and attached to his mind. Amber took over blue as the normal Jack disappeared.

"Goodbye, Jack." Pitch cooed as he faded into the surrounding shadows. Jack looked at the space that Pitch had just occupied and smirked cruelly. He got up easily with only a slight pain in his side. He looked down and saw his side covered in white gauze, he grinned.

"Thanks, Pitch. I could use another scar." Jack said sarcastically and ripped the bandage off. Underneath was an eight inch wound that had been stitched up.

"When the heck did he do this?" Jack yelled at himself, just loud enough for Bunny to hear from down the hall in his own room. Bunny flung open his door and rushed to Jack's room. Then he flung that door open too and entered. There was no trace of Jack.

"Jack? Where are y-?" Bunny was cut off when Jack pushed him against the wall, pressing his forearm into Bunny's neck. The door slammed shut on it's own and the room was thrown into darkness. Jack's amber eyes burned through the darkness and Bunny was starting to cower away.

"I'm right in front of you, Kangaroo." Jack teased and released Bunny swiftly. His glowing eyes disappeared from Bunny's gaze. Bunny stepped out into the middle of the room and Jack circled around him. He analyzed Bunny's movements and inched closer, he reached out and poked him in the side. Bunny flinched away and turned towards Jack's touch.

"Jack, what did Pitch do to you?" Bunny reached out and tried to find Jack. Jack looked at Bunny's paw with curiosity. _Who is he to me? _Jack thought. Slowly Jack walked towards Bunny and hugged his waist. _I remember this, this smell and touch. It's strangely calm. _Jack thought. Bunny rubbed circles on Jack's back as they stood there in the darkness. Then Bunny accidentally brushed Jack's side wound and Jack hissed. He let go and clutched his side, falling to his knees.

"Jack? What happened?" Bunny asked frantically. He stumbled to the wall and found the light switch, flipping it on. Jack winced against the light and covered his eyes. Bunny knelt down beside him and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack looked up at him with squinted eyes. The amber vanished and Jack's normal ethereal blue eyes returned. Jack was confused.

"What happened to me?" Jack clutched his side in pain. When the darkness had descended Jack's conscious mind was gone. He couldn't remember anything and seriously wanted to know why Bunny was in his room.

"What are you doing in here, Kangaroo?" Jack shouted half-heartedly. His mind was foggy and sleep was clawing at his mind. Jack hobbled over to the bed and climbed in. Bunny came over and tucked him in, Jack was already asleep.

"You have such a weird personality, Frostbite." Bunny whispered to the sleeping form. As he exited the room he left the lights on. Pitch would not get him a third time. _You can count on that. _Bunny thought.


	5. Chapter 5

_Jack was running as fast as he could. Shadows swimming on the ground, ready to snatch at his ankles. Ready to make him fall into the darkness. But they wanted to savor the fear radiating from his body and the adrenaline coursing in his veins. _

"_Jack. Jack." They whispered in an evil hiss that made Jack yelp and run faster, if that was even possible, "We're coming for you. He's coming for you!" Jack knew who they were whispering and cackling about. Pitch. The very name made him shiver in displeasure. The hisses and his footsteps were the only thing Jack could hear. _

_A shadow shot out of the ground in front of him and he skidded to a stop. He fell onto his butt and stare up at the shadow figure. Strands of shadow latching onto his calves. The shadow loomed over him, engulfed him in a shadow of pure hatred of all things good. Slowly the black mass grew features, then Pitch was made from the figure. Jack wanted to die. Pitch grabbed Jack's forearms and darkness spread over Jack's skin, soaking into every pore. Jack gasped as it climbed up his neck and reached for his eyes._

"_You will fall to the darkness, Jack. You know you will, don't deny it." Pitch hissed as a part of Jack's mind fought against Pitch's control. Pitch gouged his fingernails into Jack's soft skin. Jack barely felt that over the sizzling and burning of hatred running through his veins. The darkness finally reached his eyes and they flashed amber. Jack growled and grabbed onto Pitch's bicep._

"_Fine." Jack spit out, "But hear this. I will use the darkness against you!" Jack released another growl. He pulled himself up and lunged at Pitch's neck. He removed his hands from Pitch's arms mid air and attached them to his throat. Pitch fell backwards with Jack on top of him. Jack tightened his grip on Pitch's throat and glared. Pitch hissed and shadows lept from the ground, wrapping around Jack's body. They lifted him into the air as he squirmed._

"_Silly, Jack. I am darkness." Pitch stood up and drifted to Jack's form. He ran a fingernail down Jack's face, black blood dripped from the small cut. Pitch wiped some up on his finger and brought it to his lips, licking it from his finger. Pitch raised an eyebrow and smirked._

"_I can taste a little fear in you, Jack." Pitch taunted. Pitch grabbed Jack's face and leaned in. Jack forced a growl deep from within his throat, it was feral. Pitch watched as Jack's eyes went from amber to blood red. Pitch was stunned, Jack took this opportunity to shake Pitch's hand off and bite it. Pitch cried out and the shadows released Jack. He landed on all fours and his head snapped up to watch Pitch._

"_You're quite interesting when you lose control." Pitch's voice echoed as he started to disappear, Jack lunged at the fading form of Pitch. Jack fell through nothing and hit the ground. His red eyes burning more than before._

Jack's eyes shot open as he woke up. He fell out of the bed and scrambled over to the mirror. He pulled himself up and stared at his reflection. Red eyes stared back, slowly they returned to amber then regular blue. Jack slid down the wall and hit the ground. He buried his face in his hands and silent tears spilled over his pale cheeks.

"What the hell has Pitch done to me?" Jack asked himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Sun shone through the window and hit Jack's face. Illuminating his pale, sleeping form. Jack was sprawled out in the middle of his room, on the floor. He tried to open his eyes but the bright light prevented that from happening. Jack groaned and flipped over. He ran both his hands through his hair and gripped his scalp.

"What a great night." Jack said to himself, sarcastically. He pushed off the floor and staggered towards the door. Jack opened it and peered down the hallway. It was deserted. The hallway carpet was soft against his bare feet and depicted christmas themes. Christmas trees and beautiful ornaments floated, magically, across the fibers. Jack smiled to himself and started walking. Not paying attention to his shirtless torso.(All you Jack Frost fanatics, this is for you.*wink*)

"Jack? Where you goin'?" Jack turned and saw Bunny peeking out of his own door. Jack crossed his arms and smirked.

"Are you stalking me?" If you could see Bunny's skin he'd be blushing. His mouth was hanging open, gaping like a fish. Jack was enjoying it.

"No!" Bunny moved out of his room and into the hallway. He hated it when Jack made fun of him but there was something calming about it now. He was acting normally, for now.

"Where's your shirt?" Bunny was confused. Jack looked down at his chest and shrugged. Just remembering that he had torn it off after his nightmare. He could have sworn he felt shadow tendrils under his skin.

"It was hot in my room." Jack argued. He turned to go, he was bored. A flash of black crossed his vision and his hand flew to his face. He was getting annoyed with Bunny for no apparent reason. Bunny stared at Jack as he stayed still.

"Jack, are you okay? Maybe you should lay back down." Bunny suggested. Jack's shoulders were shaking ever so lightly and Bunny reached out in panic. Bunny placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and he stopped shaking. Jack turned around and clutched Bunny's wrist in a vice grip. Jack glanced up at the tall mammal and smirked evilly. Jack's eyes were on the verge of turning amber. He was fighting against the wave of darkness threatening his conscious. _No._ Jack turned abruptly away.

"Just leave me alone!" He shouted, he balled up his fists and ran off. _I don't want to hurt you! _Jack screamed in his mind. If only Bunny had heard. He was left stranded in the middle of the hallway, wishing for an explanation.

-o-

Jack ran as fast as he could to get outside. He sighed as the snow covered his skin while he ran. He felt more like himself as he breathed in the frigid air, enjoying the slight burn from the snow. He was surprising interrupted.

"Jack Frost!" North shouted in greeting and brought him into a bear hug. A spine-crushing one at that. But Jack was enjoying this.

"Hey big guy! Thought you never got out of the office." Jack said cheerily. North set him down and brushed snow off Jack's face. North had become more of a father figure to him since Pitch's trying to destroy the minds of children.

"Enjoying the snow?" North bellowed laughter as Jack nodded vigorously. Jack looked around the landscape, only trees, snow, and North's workshop could be seen. North looked around with him.

"Why are you out here?" Jack questioned. North's eyes glittered in awe over his land then turned to Jack.

"Getting a bit of fresh air always clears the mind, no?" North smiled and patted Jack's shoulder. Just realizing Jack had no shirt on.

"Where is your shirt, boy?" North questioned in his thick russian accent. Jack was shocked, he had forgotten about that peculiar detail.

"I lost it?" Jack tried but North wasn't convinced, he started to lead them both inside. Once inside North found him a new shirt and they sat down in North's office. North offered Jack hot chocolate but he declined.

"I don't drink anything hot. Ice spirit in all." Jack said while pointing to himself. He was sitting sideways on one of the high backed chairs in front of North's big mahogany desk, legs dangling over the side. North plopped into his own chair, which was twice as big as Jack's chair, and sipped a big mug of hot chocolate. Some of it running onto his white beard.

"Jack?" North asked, his voice serious, "Do you have anything you'd like to tell me?" Jack turned his head to look at North, he was very serious. _Can I trust him? _Jack thought. He mentally slapped himself. _Of course I can trust him! _

"Ever since the situation with Pitch, I've been having blackouts and nightmares." North leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on the desk. A motion for him to continue.

"Like last night, I blacked out and when I came to, Bunny was standing in my room and he looked really worried. Then, when I had gone back to sleep I had a nightmare. North," Jack pleaded, "I had red eyes. Not blue, not amber, red!" Jack covered his eyes and sat up straight. A plea for help written all over his face.

"Do you remember when we rescued you from Pitch?" Jack shook his head and North took a sharp intake of breath, "Do you want to know?"

"Of course I do!" Jack nearly shouted. North leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers together.

"You were scared of us, you didn't want to leave Pitch's side. Crazy, I know." Jack was staring in disbelief, "Then you changed, you were cruel and sarcastic. You threw Bunny into a wall also. When I tried to attack Pitch you blocked it, but you looked like you were fighting against his control. Pitch wanted you to finish me off and you hesitated." North stopped and looked to Jack, who was silent.

"He tried to regain control with force but I pulled you away. You fainted and Pitch said he didn't want you anymore. I don't believe that one bit. As much as I wish it weren't true, he's interested in you, Jack. Nothing can change that." Jack stayed silent, his fists were balled up against his thighs. He abruptly stood up.

"That bastard! Thinks he can control me! Ahh!" Jack clutched his head and cried out in pain. North was immediately beside him.

"Jack! Anger and hatred are the trigger for your personality change! Control your emotions." Jack gasped for breath as the shadows reached out and wrapped themselves around his conscious mind. His eyes flickered between blue and amber, never red. North gripped Jack's shoulders and tried to calm him down.

"Think of something good, a happy memory." North suggested and Jack went still.

"_Come on, Jack!" Jamie yelled and threw a snowball at Jack. Jack dodged and smirked his playful smirk. He twirled his ice staff and pointed it at Jamie._

"_Be careful what you wish for!" Jack shouted back and a patch of ice formed under Jamie's feet and he slipped. Jack made a path for Jamie to slide down and he collided with a snow bank. Jamie stood up and put his hands in the air._

"_And the crowd goes wild!" Jamie exclaimed and made the crowd cheering noise. Jack slid down the ice path and landed right next to Jaime. Jamie looked up at Jack with his big brown eyes and smiled._

"_I always wanted an older brother." He said quietly._

"_Well, you got something better." Jack said thoughtfully, Jamie was confused, "You got a Guardian!" Jack formed a blue snowflake in his hand and blew it in Jamie's face. Jamie laughed and Jack ruffled his hair._

"Jamie." Jack said forcefully and he kept repeating it over and over again. North relaxed and led Jack over to a sofa in the corner of the room. Jack laid down and was instantly asleep.

"Teenagers and their sleep. What are you gonna do?" North joked and turned out the light. He left the room a little while later, leaving Jack to sleep. No nightmares were dreamt that night. Only snowball fights and snowflakes resounded throughout Jack's mind.


	7. Chapter 7

Pitch was bored. So bored in fact, that he started making images from his nightmare sand. Exactly what Sandy would do to make up for his lack of speech. Before he knew it his mind wandered off to Jack and a ton of black snowflakes surrounded him, floating through the air. With a wave of his hand they disintegrated instantly.

"How could I let them take him? He was the only thing that wasn't boring!" He roared. The black sand lept from the ground and swirled around him furiously. In the blink of an eye he was gone. Moments later he was standing by Jack's sleeping form. Golden dream sand twirled over Jack's head. Slowly it came together to form two figures, which were laughing and playing in the snow.

"Why don't you just give up?" Pitch hissed lowly, so no one would over hear him. Jack twitched then relaxed again.

"You're so stubborn." Pitch reached out and grasped the smaller figure. It ran around the palm of his hand, unaware of the danger it was in. "But that's what makes you interesting." He inspected the smaller figure closely and realized who it was.

"Yes, I remember the boy. The one who believed in you first. Must be very special to you then." Pitch smiled cruelly. "What would happen if you lost him?" He crushed the sand figure in his hand, sand spilling from any opening in his closed fist. Jack cried out in his sleep as black sand seeped into his quaint dream. The gold and onyx sand mixed, gold tried to fight back but it was useless. Fear had the advantage now, a frightened host was perfect. Jack slumped back into the couch while black sand floated above his head where the golden had once been. Pitch picked him up bridal style and the onyx sand that had once been over Jack's head joined the rest that floated around Pitch's dark figure. He was about to disappear when he got a cruel idea, he looked to North's desk and concentrated. A piece of paper flew out of North's desk and landed on the sofa, black sand was used as ink. Pitch chuckled darkly and vanished instantly, a ripple of air hitting the note that was left.

-o-

Meanwhile Bunny was still looking for Jack after what had gone down between them. He was genuinely worried for Jack's sake. _How sick was Pitch to manipulate a young boy? _Bunny thought to himself furiously. Next time he got his hands on Pitch he was going to kill him. Bunny was shoved out of his thoughts when he was knocked into by something. Both figures went down.

"What-?" Bunny asked as he rubbed his head. Hands flitted over him in apology. Tooth had been in a hurry and wasn't looking where she was going. "Oh, it's you Tooth. Why are you in such a hurry?" Bunny sprang to his feet with only slight dizziness.

"Have you seen Jack? He's not in his room and I'm scared he's gonna hurt himself." Bunny put a paw on her shoulder to calm her down and she stopped rambling.

"It's okay, he's probably walking around the workshop, messing with the yeti's again." Bunny tried to sooth her hummingbird of a heart. She smiled and nodded.

"You're probably right! Silly me, worrying over nothing. Thanks, Bunny." She kissed him on the cheek quickly and sped off. That was a natural occurrence with Tooth.

_Now where could Jack be hiding? _Bunny thought just a moment before he was slammed in the back by something hard. He turned around at lightning speed, ready to reach for his boomerangs. It was just North.

"North you nearly scared me to death!" Bunny huffed, he tried to calm his thumping mess of a heart.

"You are wondering where Jack is, no?" North asked in his russian accent. Bunny was stunned into silence. How did North know? _Santa knows all! _A childish voice shouted in his head. North smiled and put a hand on Bunny's shoulder. "I saw him a few minutes ago, he fell asleep on the couch in my office. Really sleepy, he was." Then North walked off the same way as Tooth had flew and Bunny sighed heavily. _Jack's getting too much sleep for his own good._ Bunny thought.

Bunny hurried along the corridors to North's main office. He opened the doors quietly as to not wake up Jack. He looked around the room but he didn't see Jack anywhere. He caught sight of something on the couch, where North said Jack was supposed to be sleeping. He rushed over and realized it was a note. He slowly read it, then reread it again and again until he had it memorized. He dropped it and ran to find North.

_I can't stay here anymore. Good bye, Guardians._

_-Jack_


	8. Chapter 8

Jack was shackled to the wall as he had once been in Pitch's layer. He was once again unconscious. Pitch watched him like a hawk, waiting for him to pull against the restraints even just a little. But nothing happened.

"Jack, you're so much more interesting when you're awake." Pitch sighed and sent a small strand of darkness at Jack. It was about to touch his forehead when a hand waved it away. The sound of moving shackles making Pitch's skin squirm with excitement. Jack's head lifted and glared at him, amber eyes shining.

"How big of a danger am I that you have to shackle me to your wall like a prisoner?" Jack asked curtly, Pitch just smirked and moved closer.

"You could break them if you really wanted to." Jack raised an eyebrow at this and smirked. He raised his right hand and jerked his arm. The shackle fell, the sound reverberating throughout the shadowy lair. Jack gripped the other and broke it easily. Brushing himself off as he rose just like a shadow.

"What do you want, Black?" Jack asked as he glared at his captor. He balled up his fists at his side, ready for a fight.

"So formal of you, Jack. Always a clever quip at hand." Pitch sneered. Jack's resolve frayed and snapped and he lunged but Pitch was faster. He grabbed Jack's throat and slammed him back into the wall. Jack snarled in Pitch's face. A black dagger formed from black sand slid into Pitch's hand and he pressed it to Jack's neck slightly. Jack stilled and tilted his head up further, exposing his pale throat.

"Don't test me, Jack." Pitch whispered into Jack's ear. Hot breath tickled his throat, so hot in fact that Jack felt scalded. He gulped and the knife nicked him, a trickle of blood slid down slowly. Pitch pulled the dagger away and leaned in. Jack's eyes widened, a sliver of fear entering his mind.

"W-what are you-?" He stuttered. Pitch's tongue made contact with his skin and a fire spread across his throat. Burning him slowly. He gasped in pain and tried to break Pitch's grip to no avail. Pitch pulled back to look Jack square in the face. He could sense the fear picking at Jack's sanity and it made his excitement jump to new levels. The knife was placed once again on Jack's throat, the blood gone.

"Why does this scare you so much, Jack. Can't handle the fear?" Pitch growled lowly and Jack trembled slightly. His eyes were flickering colors sporadically. Pitch pressed the knife another millimeter and Jack's breath hitched. His body went rigid and he grabbed Pitch's arms for support. Jack glared and a rush of pain went through his head, his vision hazed red. Jack growled and pushed Pitch back, ignoring small stab wound that was already healing. Pitch fell to the ground with Jack on top of him. Jack leaned in close and his eyes blood red.

"I'm not scared of you, Boogeyman." Jack spit out. Black and purple veins stood out around his eyes and his lips were turning blue. He looked like a man about to die.

"Jack," Pitch cooed and Jack flinched, "If you keep going on like this you'll waste away. Pick a side or lose yourself completely. Light or darkness?" Pitch reached up and touched Jack's temple. The blackness under his skin moved towards Pitch's finger and was absorbed. Jack gasped as the red drained from his eyes and left them a hazy blue. He fought to stay awake but his eyelids rebelled against him and they fell closed. Pitch rolled him off and got up. He snapped his fingers and the black sand swept Jack up and carried him away. Pitch shook his head slowly.

"Jack-Jack. You're outliving your usefulness. The final showdown is coming." He chuckled darkly and the onyx sand stirred around him. "Are your Guardians ready?"

**Sorry for the short chapter. Want more red-eyed Jack? I knew you would, review and tell me about what you want. Next chapter coming soon, hopefully.**


	9. Chapter 9

_The darkness was back again. Jack was floating in it, surrounded by it. At least he wasn't being chased by shadows this time. He looked around and tried to find something he could stand on. Then he dropped and hit the invisible floor. _I think I found it. _He thought. He was raising himself up when a shuffling sound came from in front of him and he looked up. A pale hand was extended towards him, he trailed his gaze up farther and saw the most piercing amber eyes. But they weren't Pitch's. It was evil Jack._

"_Who are you?" Jack's mind was spinning. Evil Jack smirked and kneeled. He reached out and put a hand on the back of Jack's head. Jack barely had any time to recoil and when he did Evil Jack twisted his fingers in his hair and yanked. Jack let out a quiet yelp as his throat was exposed._

"_I am you." Evil Jack purred and leaned closer. Frost appeared where his breath hit the normal Jack's throat._

"_No you're not." Jack growled. Evil Jack's grip tightened in his hair and pulled his head back more. "You never could be." Evil Jack leaned in more and his nose slightly touched Jack's jaw line. Jack sucked in a breath and Evil Jack smirked._

"_After all those years of never being seen, never being touched. Can you really hate this so much?" Evil Jack eased his grip on Jack's hair and used it to tilt his head forward. Azure eyes bore into vibrant amber. Evil Jack reached up and trailed a finger down Jack's cheek, ice spreading out in spectacular patterns. Jack sighed and his eyes went hazy for a moment. Evil Jack grinned and traced the contours of Jack's face, thin lines of ice following fluttering touches. _

"_Don't worry, Jack. What I'm going to do won't hurt you." Evil Jack murmured into Jack's ear. "I just want to protect you from the others. We wouldn't want you getting hurt, now would we?" Jack's mind was fogging, he was falling away. He was enveloped in a blanket of comforting ice._

"_What are you going to do?" Jack asked through the mist and more light touches came. Amber eyes shone from the thickening fog and hypnotized him._

"_I'm going to lock you away. Where you can't be hurt." Evil Jack said quietly. Then Jack was being laid in a snow white coffin. He was dressed in a white suit and blue roses were tucked into his hands. Evil Jack stood to the side of his resting place. He towered over Jack. He smiled a small smile and Jack opened his eyes. Beautiful blue eyes stood out among the white and a tear slipped out. Evil Jack wiped it from Jack's face._

"_You're not going to die, Jack. I'm just protecting you." With that he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Jack's forehead. Then the white lid was placed over Jack's form and the alluring blue eyes closed in sleep. Leaving only amber to control._

Jack sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the cot. His elbows resting on his knees, he ran his fingers through his hair and huffed out a deep sigh. The swift sound of sand filled the room and he glanced up. Pitch stood before him, glaring sternly. Jack smiled and rolled his eyes, Pitch was so dramatic.

"So nice of you to save him from the suffering. Such a big softie you are." Pitch sneered. Jack stood and matched his glare.

"You should be happy, he won't complicate things." Pitch smirked and raised a hand. Black tendrils lashed out and wrapped around the ice spirit. They pulled him towards Pitch until he was within arms length of the Boogeyman.

"Plus," Pitch cocked his head to the side, "I didn't want you messing with him. He's mine, not yours." Jack spit out as the dark tendrils constricted. Pitch snarled and Jack was thrown into the adjacent wall. His head connected with the crumbling stone and his head lolled forward. Pitch glided over and took a hand full of dirty white hair. He pulled on the loose head until they were both glaring each other in the eye. Pitch ruffled his hair playfully and the dark bonds receded. Jack gasped and trickle of blood came out of the corner of his mouth.

"That might not have been a good decision on your part." Pitch let go and left the room. Jack spit out the blood and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. A tear slid down his face and he scrubbed it away furiously.

"Jack, what have I done to us? What has Pitch done to us?" Jack sighed then got up and laid back down on the hard cot. Then he proceeded to try and organize his thoughts.

-o-

"This is horrible!" North bellowed. Bunny had just told North of what he had found. Tooth and Sandy had rushed to find them when they heard the yeti's whispering. They were all sitting in North's office now. North had on small spectacles and was inspecting the small note.

"Jack wouldn't just leave. He'd want us to help him, right?" Tooth was flitting around the room. Sandy had a question mark floating over his head. Bunny was thumping his foot against the carpet in annoyance.

"I don't know Tooth. He's been on edge ever since we got him from Pitch, maybe he would." Bunny commented. Tooth stopped mid-flight and floated down.

"You're probably right. We haven't even known him for that long." Tooth sighed and landed lightly on the ground. North took off his glasses and held the note in front of him.

"Jack didn't write this." He said calmly and everyone stopped moving. "I've seen him write before and he doesn't write this neat. Also, if you look closely this isn't a type of ink that I have. It's grainier, unlike anything I've ever seen." North set it down on his desk and look around at the faces of his fellow guardians. Only one name resounded in all of their minds. Pitch's face popped up over Sandy's head and they all nodded.

"Pitch." They all hissed in unison.

**Please review and give ideas if you have any! The Final Showdown is coming! Are you ready?**


	10. Chapter 10

***Once again, Pitch's lair doesn't look like this in the original story.***

***P.S. EJ is evil Jack***

"Let's go!" North bellowed. They rushed for the sleigh as they had done a day or so earlier. North took the reins and snapped them. Everyone but Bunny got on.

"Come on then, Bunnymund! We must go now!" North said hurriedly, the reindeer were getting antsy. Bunny shook his head and smiled.

"I have to pick something up first. I'll meet you there." Bunny said. North looked to Tooth and Sandy, they nodded in compliance.

"Godspeed, Bunnymund!" North yelled as the sleigh shot off into the sky. Bunny watched until he saw the portal open up then he turned away. He tapped his foot on the ground and a hole appeared. He jumped down it and shot off like a bullet.

"You might be our only hope." He whispered.

-o-

Tooth watched Bunny from the back of the sleigh.

"What do you think he's doing, Sandy?" She asked the Sandman. He looked up at her and spelled out a word. Hope.

"Hope?" She was confused, "What do you mean by Hope?" Sandy just shrugged and smiled a small smile.

"Approaching now!" North called and they snapped to attention. Pitch's lair appeared out of the thick fog. Dark and foreboding as always. They gently set down on the cobblestones and jumped out. It was quiet, a little too quiet. Then the huge wooden doors opened and Pitch floated out.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked sarcastically.

"We want Jack back! We know you took him again!" Tooth yelled. They all shook in anger and annoyance. Why would he take Jack again?

"I have no control over him. He makes his own choices." Pitch sneered.

"Fighting over me? You shouldn't. It could get deadly." A voice from behind Pitch announced. "But I like that kinda thing." Jack appeared, sidestepping around Pitch. Trying to keep his distance. He looked at the three guardians and cocked his head to the side.

"Where's the Kangaroo? Decorating eggs?" Jack asked with curiosity. North stepped forward and folded his arms. He glared at Jack.

"Now," North asked quietly, "Where is the real Jack?" Jack raised an eyebrow and smirked. Deep down in his subconscious there was a white flicker.

"Locked away." Jack spit out. He didn't like North the most out of all of them.

"What good will that do?" North asked in a gentle voice. Jack snapped, he launched himself at North. He formed an ice blade in his right hand and pressed it to North's throat. North didn't even flinch.

"I'm protecting him from you! You're putting things in his head! He doesn't need you!" Jack hissed. His eyes glowing brightly. North stayed calm.

"That may be true." North looked him dead in the eye and said, "But he doesn't need you either." Jack growled and North whipped out his swords. Jack jumped out of reach of the blade, missing him by inches. Jack smirked and crushed his own blade. Then he formed two new ones that looked just like North's. He took a stance and beckoned to North.

"Now it's a party!" Jack said playfully. Then they both launched at each other. Ice and metal clashed together, the sound music to Pitch's ears. They blocked and attacked but no one got hit. Then Jack put out a foot and tripped North. He fell down hard, his face red with exhaustion. Jack leaned over him and poised the blade over his heart.

"It was nice knowing you. But not really." Jack lifted the sword slowly. Tooth and Sandy ran towards them. Jack smiled sadistically and brought it down.

"Jack, no!" A voice rang out. Jack froze and his head snapped up. The sword in his hands was inches away from North's chest. Jack tightened his grip and it exploded into snow. Jack looked at the two figures that had just made their entrance. He straightened up and took a step in their direction.

"Jamie?" Jack asked in a conflicted voice. The white flicker was flashing wildly now. Jamie was standing beside Bunny, who was breathing heavily. He had run for miles to get to Jamie so quickly.

"Jack, stop. This isn't you." Jamie pleaded calmly. Jack took another step in his direction and his vision blanked out for a second. It was like Jamie was the only thing he could see. _Remember, you don't care about him. _He thought. _You might, but that's Jack's body you're in. He wouldn't-couldn't-put a hand on Jamie. _A soft voice from within him. He fell to his knees right in front of Jamie. He looked into Jamie's big brown eyes unseeingly and smiled.

"Nice to see you buddy." Then he fell forward and Bunny caught him swiftly. Jack didn't stir.

"Jack? Wake up!" Jamie was holding back sobs. Tooth scooped him up into a hug. Tears spilled over his cheeks and landed on Tooth's soft feathers.

"Such a touching reunion." Pitch said snidely. He smiled evilly and everyone cowered away.

-o-

_"Where am I?" EJ asked. Slowly a white room materialized around him, and in the middle was Jack's coffin. It gleamed pristine white with subtle blue pulses of light. EJ ran a hand over the surface and sighed. _What am I gonna do? _He thought to himself._

_"What should you do?" Asked a voice. He slowly looked around and found Jack standing next to him. Jack looked down at his coffin and smiled._

_"How'd you get out?" EJ asked curiously. Jack lifted a hand and flicked EJ in the forehead._

_"I'm a hallucination you dummy." Jack said. EJ rubbed his forehead. Jack looked from EJ to the coffin and back._

_"So, what are you going to do?" Jack asked again. EJ looked at him with fear in his eyes._

_"I'm tired of being afraid, Jack." EJ said quietly. "I was afraid you wouldn't accept me. North's right, you don't need me." Then EJ felt a hand on his shoulder._

_"I'll always want you around. You're too fun to get rid of." Jack said and EJ laughed. He gripped the edge of the coffin and lifted it open. The lid fell away into nothing, dissolving into the air. The hallucination was gone, in its place was the real Jack, who was still sleeping in the coffin. He ruffled Jack's hair and Jack's blue eyes opened slowly. Jack slowly sat up and rubbed his head, the blue roses falling onto his lap._

"_You're getting on my nerves, EJ." Jack said groggily. EJ raised an eyebrow and chuckled. _

"_What kind of name is EJ?" Asked EJ as he helped Jack out of the box. Jack stood unsteadily and fell against EJ._

"_Why are you letting me out? I thought I was supposed to stay in here." Jack complained. "And why did you choose a coffin? It's creepy." EJ laughed and pushed Jack away. EJ stepped backwards and faded away, Jack flailed and grabbed onto the edge of the coffin. Only to come face to face with EJ, who was now laying in Jack's place._

"_What the heck are you doing, EJ?" Jack hissed and straightened up. EJ laughed and reached up to ruffle Jack's hair._

"_Quit doing that!" Jack hissed, even though he kind of liked it. EJ smiled and the coffin started to turn black. Jack lifted his hands away and sighed. He reached down and ruffled EJ's hair, he scowled but didn't say anything._

"_So you're just going to lock yourself away? Kind of cowardly if you think about it." Jack muttered the last part so EJ couldn't hear. A lid swung out from nowhere and Jack stopped it before it could shut EJ away. EJ glared harshly._

"_Just let me go." EJ reached out and grasped Jack's free hand. He slipped something into it and hit the hand holding the lid. Jack let go, his hand throbbing. The lid slammed shut and the coffin disappeared altogether. Jack grasped at the open air and stumbled. Something pricked his hand and he looked down. A black rose was what EJ had left him, a thorn had stuck him and a drop of blood ran down his palm._

"_I hate you so much." He whispered softly. Then a smile spread across his face and ice ran up the stem. The rose was soon covered in a thin layer of pristine ice. Jack let it drop onto the floor at his feet then a hole opened up and he was swallowed._

-o-

"Jack! Wake up!" Jamie yelled into the sleeping guardian's face. Jack's eyes slowly opened and he sat up straight. He looked at Jamie with a look of confusion. He looked to the others and pointed at Jamie.

"Why the heck is he here?" He questioned and everyone smiled.

"You all are so boring. Come back later when we've got your spunk back." Pitch called to them. Jack stood up unsteadily and glared at Pitch. Pitch cocked his head to the side in curiousness. Jack clenched his fists and fixed his stance.

"Hope you can hear me, EJ. I'm gonna need some help." Jack said awkwardly. The others were staring at him as if he were crazy. A warm buzz flowed through his body.

_At your service, Jack. _EJ whispered into his mind. Jack closed his eyes as the warm feeling spread over his whole body. His eyes shot open and they shone amber. But Jack was still in control.

"Let's end this. Here and now, Pitch." He hissed cooly. Pitch stepped forward and held his arms out, as if he wanted a hug.

"I couldn't agree more, Jack." Pitch said just as cooly.

**Sorry for the big cliffhanger but I just love suspense. Hope you liked the chapter. Review please, you know I love it.**

**P.S. EJ has got to be my favorite character and he doesn't even exist. Do you guys like him?**


	11. Chapter 11

Jack and Pitch lunged at each other. Jack formed an ice blade in his right hand and Pitch sent a stream of sand to counter. Pitch shoved Jack, which bought him some time to form a blade of his own. A sleek black dagger just like the one he had threatened EJ with. They both lunged, ice and onyx clashed. The Guardians snapped out of their reverie and went to help Jack. A deep rumble came from the Pitch's lair. Nightmares busted through the windows and sprung over the roof, heading straight for the others. A few jumped over Jack and Pitch as they fought.

"Having fun, Guardians? I know I am." Pitch shouted happily over the roar of hooves hitting the ground. A Nightmare rushed past Jack by an inch and hesitated. It turned on Jack, its red eyes glowing, and lunged. It dug its teeth into Jack's left shoulder. Jack screamed in pain as the dull teeth cut through his hoodie and skin. Jack swiftly shoved the knife into the Nightmare's stomach. It exploded in a puff of black sand. Jack gritted his teeth and gripped his shoulder, glaring at Pitch.

"You look horrible, Jack." Pitch sneered. He faked a jab and hooked a toe around the back of Jack's ankle. He pulled swiftly and Jack fell onto his back. The air rushed out of his lungs and stars danced across his vision. Pitch looked down at him and smirked.

"Are you finally scared, Jack?" Pitch asked, sounding bored. This was getting old fast. Jack tried to glare through the haze but it didn't work.

"Never." Jack choked out. Pitch smirked even more and trailed his blade across Jack's cheek. Jack's eyes flared with pain as the blood came to the surface. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to shut out the roaring inferno that was pain.

"Jack!" Jamie screamed from somewhere around him. Jack turned his head towards the sound and smiled. _At least he's still alive. _Jack thought happily. Jamie would be okay after all this, right? Jack looked back up at Pitch.

"If I stop fighting would you let them all live?" Jack asked. Pitch looked down at him in pity and grinned.

"Of course, Jack. Even little Jamie will be left alone." Pitch promised. Jack's body visibly relaxed and Pitch raised his weapon.

"Darkness can't win, not if you have others who actually care about you." Jack said, sounding as if he had been saying it over and over in his head and accidentally said it out loud. Jack's eyes suddenly focused on Pitch. "You must have been a sad soul before you became the Boogeyman." Pitch growled and fixed his grip on his blade.

"Jack!" Jamie yelled again. Jack kept staring at the weapon hovering over him. A small smile crept onto his face, as if content of these events.

"Don't worry, Jamie. Someday you'll understand." Jack said quietly. _Jack, what are you doing? _EJ asked worriedly. Pitch growled and the blade found its target. Jack's heart. No one made a sound, not even the Nightmares. The Guardians looked on in horror at the dying Jack, a fatal amount of blood soaking his once blue hoodie. Jack coughed and blood trickles out of the corner of his mouth. Pitch twists the blade in the wound but Jack barely feels it. He feels so numb, not even the coldest snow makes him feel this way.

"Jack, oh God, Jack!" Jamie and EJ yelled at the same time. Tooth is crying while hugging Jamie, Bunny and North are silent. But Sandy looks calm as can be, as if he knows an inside secret.

_Come on, Jack. Don't die on me. _EJ whispered with a sob, he's crying. Jack tries to hold onto that voice but it slips from his mind, like sand through his fingers. He faintly remembers Sandy and his pretty golden sand, uncorrupted, unlike Pitch's. Images fly by at a frightful speed and he tries to grasp all of them but it's impossible. They whizz by like bullets from a gun. Then one stopped before him and two hands shot out of it. At first he resisted but the hands are warm and firm and determined. Then they pulled him into a warm embrace and he let everything go.

-o-

Jack looked around at the white room he had grown used to. Only this time a large black mass was in the corner. He drew in a deep breath and a spasm of pain hit his chest. He gripped his chest and nearly fell over.

"Oh god, are you okay?" EJ asked as he helped steady Jack. Jack pushed him away and glared.

"Why didn't you just let me die? Why is it so important that I live?" Jack was hysteric from all the blood loss. EJ looked at him for a long moment then a tear slid down his cheek. Jack looked at him and the fog lifted from his mind and he realized what he had said.

"I'm sorry, EJ." Jack whispered. The black mass in the corner stirred and formed into an actual figure. He looked just like Jack only he had red eyes. Jack was confused. Who was this?

"Hey Jack. It's so nice to actually meet you." He sneered. Jack noticed he kind of talked like Pitch.

"Who are you?" Jack asked as he gritted his teeth against a small wave of pain. Red-eyed Jack gave a toothy grin and waved his hand, shaking off the question. EJ gripped Jack's arm even tighter.

"Please," EJ pleaded to the red-eyed foe, "Can you help him?" Red-eyed Jack whipped his head towards EJ. Anger rose up in his blood red eyes.

"Why should I? What has he ever done for me?" Red-eyed Jack nearly shouted as his rage took control. He stepped forward to hit EJ but Jack leapt in front of him and took the hit. Normally, Jack wouldn't fall when he got slapped but it was a strong hit and he was weak with pain. He collapsed into a heap on the floor, gripping his shirt like his heart was exploding. EJ glared at the truly evil side of Jack and knelt beside the real Jack. Through all the pain Jack glared at red-eyed Jack.

"I don't want your help anyway." Jack spit out as EJ helped him up. Red-eyed Jack raised an eyebrow and grinned evilly. He walked towards Jack until he was right in front of him, he waved EJ away. Jack winced and, even though he didn't want to, grabbed onto red-eyed Jack's arm. Then Jack's legs gave out and he sank to his knees, still glaring at his other personality. Red-eyed Jack used a thumb and index finger on Jack's chin to keep his head in place.

"Do you wish to die so badly?" Red-eyed Jack asked quietly. Jack's look softened and he shook his head. "I thought so. You wouldn't leave Jamie all alone with Pitch roaming around. Heck, even I wouldn't do that to the poor boy. But no, you just had to give up your life, you didn't even fight to the end, you just laid there. If you die, who will bring snow to the world?" Jack's eyes widened at the last sentence. They were so similar to the ones Bunny had said the night he had come back...home. Jack's eyesight fogged up, he hadn't realized he had started to cry until a small sob escaped his throat.

"Please, I just want to protect everybody." Jack pleaded. Red-eyed Jack nodded and leaned in close to Jack's face.

"I'm gonna have to use you for awhile." He whispered in Jack's ear.

-o-

Pitch laughed, his voice rough and harsh, and pulled the blade out of Jack's dead body. He turned towards the others and savored the looks of disgust and horror on their faces. Then he looked at the blade for a second or two before it melted away into thin air.

"And thus the era of Jack Frost ends." Pitch said audaciously. He turned to the Guardians. Now that he had gotten rid of Jack he could do whatever he wanted, right? He eyed the young boy, the youth stared at him with big brown eyes. He looked for any sign of fear in them, like any normal boy would have. But all he saw was anger, a burning hatred that a young boy of his age shouldn't have. Pitch grinned and stepped towards Jamie, then he felt something on his ankle that stopped him in his tracks. He looked down and saw a white hand clutching his ankle in a death grip. Jack's arm was the source but he still looked like he was dead.

"Got something to say, Jackie-boy?" Pitch looked at Jack's face, looking for any movement, there was none. He stepped back towards Jack and took a better look at the wound in Jack's chest. There was none. Pitch did a double take just as Jack's eyes shot open, blood red and really angry. He sat up and gripped Pitch's face, fingers splayed widely. Ice formed on Pitch's face and froze his features, almost to his eyes. Pitch let out a startled growl and pushed him away. Then nightmare sand hit Jack in the side and he went flying. Right when he was about to hit the ground gold sand cushioned his fall. He looked around and realized the others were surrounding him. They were so excited that he wasn't dead. Jack stood up and brushed himself off. He looked down at Jamie and smiled.

"Don't remember him like this Jamie, okay?" Jack asked. Jamie looked at him through watery eyes. Then Jamie hugged him, hard. It took the wind out of him and he felt Jamie nod against his stomach. Jamie pulled back and wiped his eyes. Red-eyed Jack shook it off and looked for Sandy. The golden guardian floated up to him and formed a picture above his head. It was a head with a finger pointing towards its temple, a knowing gesture. Jack nodded and leaned in to whisper in Sandy's ear. After a few seconds Jack pulled away and Sandy nodded.

"Picking on kids now are we?" Jack asked Pitch. Pitch was shaking with rage.

"How are you not dead? You were dead! I killed you!" Pitch screamed in rage. His nightmare sand rose up behind him and shot forward. Jack ran at Pitch and the nightmare sand swooped down. Jack created a blade and sliced through the corrupted sand. The sand started to form on the blade and it dissolved into nothing. The sand split open and Pitch reached out and grabbed Jack's throat. He pulled Jack close. Jack hit Pitch's hand with one of his own, making Pitch let go. Then he punched Pitch in the face. Jack grabbed Pitch's arms, making sure he didn't get away. Jack snarled at him.

"Let's go out the same way we came. The light." Jack said playfully. He looked in Sandy's direction and gave a nod, Sandy returned it. Sandy raised his arms as he lifted into the air. Golden sand shot out from behind him and headed in Jack and Pitch's direction. Pitch followed his gaze and his eyes widened. He understood what was going on and he was now struggling against Jack's grip. It didn't even falter, he was content with what was going to happen. Pitch's eyes were filled with fear as Jack smiled cruelly at him. In a matter of seconds they were both enveloped in a sphere of gold sand, nightmare sand shrank away from its glow.

"Don't be stupid, Jack." Pitch's voice was disbelieving, "Doing this will kill you too." Jack smiled and shook his head slowly. He looked Pitch straight in the eye.

"I'm not Jack, I'm my own person. I can make my own decisions." He said as the sand attached to their skin and clothes. Pitch grunted as the light sand sank into the skin on his hand. It slowly dissolved the skin and all that was left was the skeleton underneath. Pitch's eyes widened and he gasped loudly. Jack shook him and grunted as the sand landed in his eyes, they flickered blue.

"And unlike you, I care about others." Jack hissed and the sand shot at them, collapsing over them, suffocating them. The sand flowed through their minds, cleansing them of darkness. Soon they were doused in the light and the ball of sand exploded. Jack's body fell to the ground, limp. Pitch was nowhere to be found, nothing was left of him.

Jamie ran to Jack. "Jack! Please be okay!" Jamie shook Jack's shoulder roughly. Jamie was scared that Jack was gone for good this time. Then Jack's eyes fluttered open and Jamie trapped him in an unbreakable hug. Jack gasped and wrapped an arm around Jamie's back. Jamie pulled back a little.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked curiously. Jack smiled a little but he looked confused.

"I have an ache in my chest. Why is that?" Jack asked. Jamie helped Jack to his feet and the others gathered around.

"You don't remember what happened?" Tooth asked with a sniffle. She had been crying the entire time. Jack looked at her and stepped forward. He smiled and hugged her.

_Welcome back, Jack. _EJ said softly. Jack smiled even bigger. He wasn't sad that the red-eyed personality of his was gone but he felt a tiny hole in his heart. He pushed that from his mind and focussed on the people he cared about. He pulled away from Tooth and picked up Jamie, setting him on his hip.

"So how are you? School going good?" Jack asked playfully to Jamie. Jamie smiled and punched him lightly in the shoulder. Then he hugged Jack for the umpteenth time that day.

"Is Pitch really gone?" Jamie asked, looking at all of them. North stepped forward and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. He smiled a goofy smile but his eyes were a tad bit serious.

"For now, yes. But he could be back in any way, shape, or form." North said. Jamie hugged Jack tighter and then everyone came in to hug Jack.

"Glad you're back to normal, Frostbite." Bunny teased. Jack glared at this.

"Me too, Kangaroo." Jack teased then stuck out his tongue childishly. Bunny balled up his fists and scowled.

"Why I oughta!" Bunny said. They glared at each other for awhile then they burst out laughing. Bunny put a paw on Jack's shoulder and smiled.

"Why did you bring Jamie here? He could have gotten hurt!" Jack nearly yelled at Bunny. Bunny held up his paws in defense. "So why did you bring him?"

"I thought that if you saw him when you were in...that state...you would return to normal. It didn't necessarily work but that doesn't matter. He's safe now." Jack glared for a couple of seconds then it drained from his face. He smiled and rubbed his chest. When he looked at his hand it was covered in blood, he looked at his chest but there was nothing. The blood had come from his hoodie.

"Come on! I loved this hoodie." He said absentmindedly. North let out a bellowing laugh and they all joined in. Jack looked at Jamie. Jack had that spark of fun and happiness in his eye that Jamie always looked forward to during the winter. Jack noticed him staring and gave Jamie a small smile. He turned to everyone else.

"So, who's up for a snow day?" Jack asked happily. All Bunny could do was moan dramatically and pull his ears down while Jamie cheered. Tooth patted Bunny on the back in a comforting way. Sandy and North stood silently, staying away from the so-called 'drama'. _I think I'm gonna like this family. _EJ said, sounding just as happy as Jack. _You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. _Jack replied in his head but he wasn't objecting.

**Hope you guys enjoyed the story. I'm so sad now that it's over! I hope you guys like the ending, I worked for a long time on it but no ideas would come! Agh! And I left you with a cliffhanger last chapter but finally it's finished.**

**Review please, you know I love it *wink* :) I think I'm gonna go crash on my couch now and watch movies until an idea strikes me. See ya guys later!**


End file.
